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Having lost your job, you will, in the first instance, look to find another position as quickly as possible. You have to replace your lost income soonest. But at the same time, you could see it as an opportunity to look for an interesting and fulfilling job. One that challenges your abilities and uses them to the fullest.

To be successful in your search and end up with a job you genuinely like, you should go through a self assessment 0of your abilities, likes and dislikes. There are many things where your experience will be of benefit in your job search for your future job. The self assessment is mainly for yourself, it is a sort of "get-to-know-myself" of things which you always knew were lurking in you, but never really found out about!

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	What is my Goal? Self Fulfillment? Earn Money, because I need to(?), or work because I want to work? Make a ranking of these and other factors in your order of importance!
	What are my strengths and weaknesses? (if you really need to, take a know-yourself test in a Career Book!). This is your perception of things! Make a list of five to ten points on your strengths and weaknesses. Rank them according to your perception of importance. And then make a ranking on how you perceive other people might see their importance!
	Where, or about what do you have my highest confidence levels? (list five items and see whether they match your strengths!)
	Make a list of activities (jobs, work etc.) that you would like to do. Then match that list to your Strengths and Weaknesses and your level of confidence in what you bring to the table.
	Make a list of places where you would like to work (You can have dreams, but be realistic about it - "I would like to work on the moon", does not help you very much!
	What impact will starting a new job have on your surrounding (family, friends, hobbies etc.) Think hard about that and write it down, because you do not want to make people around you unhappy!
	Ask friends or former colleagues (or your former bosses) you worked with, what their perception of your strengths and weaknesses are , i.e. what were or are you good at? Be careful in evaluating these comments, because often people will tell you what they think you want to hear! Remember, you get the best self assessment if you are honest with yourself!
	Based on the above, start to match job functions (or titles) with your wishes and abilities? You should come up with a final list of ten jobs, then narrow them down to five or so! Do you like any of the Options? If not, go back and start afresh at the beginning!
	Once you have gone through that process, start to look for companies, recruiters or other sources with information about who is hiring (not everyone does and you want to stay clear of groups or companies that just need a "man/girl Friday" to do every menial task other employees want to avoid doing!)
	The final phase is finding and selecting the job you want to do. The last thing you want is to start a job, then find out you do not like it, resign, and then start somewhere else. That is stressful and will not do much for your own confidence either. Thus, selecting your job, asking the right questions during the interview process and starting with a really positive attitude is key to a successful return to work. Remember, you want to work because it makes you happy and fulfilled!

There are areas in which your experience and skill as well as seriousness of purpose are key elements that drive an activity or are the essence of a job. Obviously, that should apply to every job, though sadly, it does not.

The above is only a small selection of books available on the topic. Try to stay clear of authors that attempt to "sell a life style"!

Starting your own Business

Another avenue is starting your own business. We have some pages to help you in this difficult task. Today, the internet provides a large number of avenues that offer business entry with minimal funds. You still have to do a lot of hard work and there is always a high risk of failing. There are also many "businesses without glamour". There are areas of the economy that few people think attractive enough to enter. A friend of mine, who used to be the CEO of a fairly large high tech companywith 2000 employees, received a very small retirement package, when the investors sold the company he helped to build. He was a mathematician in his mid 40'ies and did not know what to do. When money became an issue, he started an office cleaning company in a medium sized Midwestern town. He used almost no capital (I think it was $200.00 or so) and now, after three years, he employs 150 people. He thoroughly enjoys building his company. And yet, you would not think that cleaning offices could be a challenge for a mathematician! If you are interested in that or any other avenues for starting a business look at our pages that will help you to be systematic about starting your dream business

Just one last word, when you try to start something yourself: Stay clear of the more lunatic schemes for quick money that are offered on the Internet and on TV (the classic saying on one of these advertisements is :"......I like the lifestyle.....and the money is good too......!"). As a general rule, money cannot be earned whilst you sleep! If it sounds to be too good, it usually is. Even if you do not need the money, losing it will create stress and discord in your family relationships. It is certainly the one thing you do not need, when you have the pressure of looking for a new source of income on you.

So where do you go from here?

Well, the next step is creating a good core resume. There are some points that you should consider, when you write that resume and start you job search. We give you some guidelines for your job search here. In addition, using networking as a means of finding out more about jobs and where they are located can be a great help. Maybe the combination of knowing yourself and what you want, a good resume and "working the network" will land you an interview!

We have put together a page with some thoughts on how to write a resume. Besides our own thoughts, there are links to professional resume writing services. Often they provide a useful investment, and you should consider it.

There is also a page on networking. It has become so prevalent in the USA, that it is an important tool in your search for a job.

An interview advice page is also available here. It would be a real pity, if you had made all this effort and then blew it with a poor interview. Have a look at the page, you might lean something from it.

And finally, you might find that you should start your job search with a small advertisement on the Internet. We offer a small Job Search Advertisement for 60 days for $9.99 or for 120 days $14.99. Go here, to see the format of the adverts and purchase the advertisement. You can also use your local newspapers. But remember, that advert will only appear once, while here it stays up for 60 or 120 days!

Good Luck!